Polk County School Board Looks at Dress Code for Saggy Pants, Sloppy Attire

Wednesday

Mar 27, 2013 at 12:01 AMMar 28, 2013 at 12:24 AM

At last week's work session, School Board member Kay Fields said saggy pants and sloppy attire are a poor reflection of the schools to allow the boys and some girls to walk around in such a manner.

By MERISSA GREENTHE LEDGER

BARTOW | School Board member Kay Fields is tired of seeing male students with their pants sagging off their buttocks.At last week's School Board work session, Fields said it is a poor reflection of the schools to allow the boys and some girls to walk around in such a manner. Her comments sparked other board members to suggest they re-visit the topic of uniforms or a stricter dress code. "I am very concerned with the number of boys that I see with their pants hanging off of their behinds," Fields said. "I know the way that it works is that when you tell them to pull their pants up, they'll pull them up and hold them until you leave the area and then they are down again."Interim Superintendent of Schools John Stewart said he agreed with Fields and hopes students would know how important it is to dress properly."Our feelings are shared by even legislators who have introduced (and passed) bills in the Legislature to mandate that people have their trousers pulled to waist level and belted properly," he said. "It is a terrible statement about society that is the way we would want to look."The legislation Stewart was referring to is dubbed the "saggy pants" law. It prohibits "students from wearing clothing that exposes underwear or body parts in an indecent or vulgar manner or that disrupts the orderly learning environment." Gov. Rick Scott signed the bill into law in June 2011.The School District's dress code already addresses unacceptable attire. The only change as a result of the legislation has been the penalties, district officials have previously said.For a first offense, students will be given a verbal warning and the school principal will call the students' parents or guardians, according to the state law.On a second offense, students are ineligible to participate in any extracurricular activity for five days and the principal meets with parents or guardians.For subsequent offenses, students receive a three-day suspension and are ineligible to participate in any extra- curricular activity for 30 days.Stewart said district officials will continue to resolve the issue and every principal he has spoken with feels the same way."They do their best but you can't keep your eye on a person all the time," he said.School Board member Hunt Berryman said the board should consider a work session on uniforms at the high school.School Board Chairwoman Hazel Sellers said she knows several school administrators would like better enforce-ment."I would rather see a strict dress code for high schools," Sellers said. "It would serve the same purpose of a uniform." School Board member Lori Cunningham said she would support a work session to discuss the issue further. Cunningham, who has the Lake Wales area in her district, said she has witnessed the effects of uniforms at the high school level. The Lake Wales Charter System required that its high school students wear uniforms a couple of years ago."It is a whole different aura when everyone is dressed appropriately for school," Cunningham said. "It has made a huge difference."District officials visited with the School Advisory Council at each of the high schools last year to engage in discussions about students who come to school inappropriately dressed. District officials gave high school administrators and their SACs the option to implement uniform policies.Saggy pants isn't just an issue with the School District. In 2011, Lakeland city commissioners gave the issue serious debate and considered an ordinance that would fine those who allowed their pants to sag. However, the ordinance didn't get support. City Commissioner Phillip Walker, who frequently brings up the saggy pants issue at commission meetings, said he hopes community organizations will get involved to stop it."It's distasteful and disgusting," he said.

[ Merissa Green can be reached at merissa.green@theledger.com or 863-802-7547. ]